Billy Berghammer

06/18/2013 at 9:57 AM

Attention fellow skull eaters!

Today, 17-BIT is pleased to announce Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-A-Fide Edition For Steam! It’s bigger! Beefier! A new island of challenges awaits! A new monk! New multiplayer progression! Even better yet, you can pre-order this new version starting today and get access to the multiplayer beta! Click here to see all the new additions that will be included in the Bone-A-Fide Edition.

Here’s the official press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

17-BIT ANNOUNCES SKULLS OF THE SHOGUN: BONE-A-FIDE EDITION FOR STEAM

The new Steam version of Skulls of the Shogun is now available for pre-order for a discounted price, and includes immediate download of the multiplayer beta of Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-a-fide Edition.

Seattle, WA (June 18th, 2013) — Seattle game developer 17-BIT today announced the release of their award-winning SKULLS OF THE SHOGUN on the Steam platform for the PC, supercharged and reborn as SKULLS OF THE SHOGUN: BONE-A-FIDE EDITION.

SKULLS OF THE SHOGUN: BONE-A-FIDE EDITION is a fast-paced turn-based strategy game where players control General Akamoto, a mighty warrior stabbed in the back on the eve of his greatest battle. Washing up on the shores of the Afterlife, it’s up to him and a ragtag army to shake things up and claim the rightful title of Shogun…of the Dead.

SKULLS OF THE SHOGUN: BONE-A-FIDE EDITION features the full campaign and multiplayer modes from the original game, while adding a challenging brand-new four-chapter episode that takes place after the original game’s ending. This episode offers a new protagonist and a new unit type, the Tanuki, who confounds enemies with teleport spells and nonstop taunts.

Players will also find all of the multiplayer functionality from the original release, including 6 new multiplayer levels, making for a total of 36 battlefields. SKULLS OF THE SHOGUN: BONE-A-FIDE EDITION supports real-time multiplayer over Steam, hotseat support, and asynchronous multiplayer modes that allow players to take turns at their leisure. Multiplayer matchups now reward players as well, with a new progression system that allows players to gain experience points, rank up, and unlock emblems. The asynchronous “Skulls Anywhere” mode is designed to be forward-compatible, so future releases of SKULLS OF THE SHOGUN will play with each other regardless of hardware platform.

Additional bonus features include an extensive developers’ commentary mode, and a new intro theme performed by chiptunes DJ, Mega Ran!

“After the original game launched, we were delighted by all the positive reviews and player feedback, but realized there were a few features we could add to power-up Skulls and make it even better.” said Jake Kazdal, CEO of 17-BIT. “We’re delighted to bring that definitive version of SKULLS OF THE SHOGUN to Steam, which adds a ton of original content and enhanced multiplayer features. We hope it’s worth the wait.”

Gamers who pre-order SKULLS OF THE SHOGUN: BONE-A-FIDE EDITION for the discounted price of $11.99 will immediately receive the multiplayer beta version of the game, which features the first chapter of the single-player mode and all 36 multiplayer levels. After the pre-order/beta period, the full game will automatically unlock for pre-purchasers, and will be available for the MSRP of $14.99. The game can be pre-ordered today at the Humble Store and via Steam.

In collaboration with Buffalo Vision and Plush Apocalypse, SKULLS OF THE SHOGUN: BONE-A-FIDE EDITION is developed and published by 17-BIT. The full retail version of the game will be released in late July. For more information about Skulls of the Shogun, visit http://www.skullsoftheshogun.com.

ABOUT 17-BIT

17-BIT is a boutique independent video game developer specializing in revitalizing classic genres with cutting-edge gaming experiences. Founded in 2009 by game industry veteran Jake Kazdal, 17-BIT aims to deliver iconoclastic games that challenge the expectations of 2D gaming. Including his years at Sega in Tokyo and Electronic Arts in Los Angeles, Kazdal brings decades of experience to the company’s offices in downtown Seattle. With bold, eye-catching art and broad audience appeal, 17-BIT creates fresh game experiences that hearken back to the 16-bit era of consoles, but with the power and high definition of modern hardware.

Vincent, while this isn’t optimal, due to the expense of releasing this content as DLC for all previous Microsoft platforms, as well as current market conditions, we’ve decided to focus on Steam and additional yet-to-be-announced platforms for future content and products.